Electric switch gear



Aug. 6, 1935. J. M. GOODALL El AL 5 ELECTRIC SWITCH GEAR Filed Nov. 28, 1954 E 5 f/s i5 9 II /0 a Irwventors: v x x John M. Goodal I, Eugene Dfiegis,

68W 5 g by i i Attorneg.

Patented Aug. 6, 1935 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC SWITCH GEAR John Melville Goodall, High Barnet, and Eugene David Regis, Cricklewood, England, assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application November 28, 1934, Serial No. 755,224 In Great Britain November 24, 1933 Claims.

The present invention relates to the selection of alternative busbars in enclosed or metal-clad high tension electric switchgear.

The usual method employed for selecting bus- 5 bars in metal-clad switchgear is to provide a selooting switch comprising a pivoted lever adapted to be operated to one of two or more alternative positions for the purpose of engaging spaced contacts arranged in the plane of movement of the lever, which contacts are adapted to be connected to the alternative busbars, known generally as main and auxiliary busbars, usually through isolating contacts at which disconnection is eiTected by the movement of a movable portion of the gear with relation to the fixed portion thereof. I

According to the present inventionselection is efiected by rotation about its axis of a member carrying contact surfaces angularly spaced with respect to the axis of the member and adapted to engage stationary contacts associated with the alternative busbars.

The invention is particularly applicable to circuit breakers having only a single break per 25' phase, and in carrying theinvention into effect in connection with such a circuit breaker having a movable contact rod adapted to engage a stationary contact located in axial alignment with the movable contact rod, we arrange for the stationary contact to be mounted in such a manner that it is capable of rotation about its axis and is carried by a member having contacts which are separated from one another axially on the member and are arranged at different angular positions with regard to said axis. For the selection of the alternative busbars the said member carrying the stationary contact is rotated about its axis whereby the spaced contacts can be brought separately into contact with stationary contacts connected to the busbars to be selected.

The single figure of the accompanying drawing is an elevational view, partly in section, illustrating an arrangement embodying the invention for use in connection with a duplicate busbar metalclad switchgear.

As illustrated in the drawing, the combined circuit breaker and busbar selection device is contained within an elongated casing I, carrying at its upper end a movable contact rod 2 actuated to open and closed positions by moving it axially through suitable mechanism contained in the upper part of the casing at 3. Supported from the casing in axial alignment are three plug-type contacts 4, 5, 6. These contacts are adapted to engage with correspondingly located contacts on a fixed portion of. the gear which contains the busbars. When the circuit breaker is in position on the-fixed portion of the gear, contact 4 will engage a busbar connected to a feeder, while contacts 5 and 6 will be in connection with duplicate or main and auxiliary busbars providing alternative sources of supply to which the feeder can be connected through the circuit breaker. Plug-type contact 4 terminates at its inner end within the casing I in a contact member providing slidable' engagement with the contact rod '2.

The fixed contact of the breaker with which the contact rod 2 is adapted to engage is contained within an explosion pot indicated at 1. This explosion pot may be arranged to embody in knownform an arc control device of special design, orit may be an ordinary well-known form of explosion pot.

The explosion pot is mounted on a rotatable member indicated generally at 8. This member is mounted upon insulators 9 upon a gear Wheel I0, supported between flanges formed as part of the casing so that it is capable of rotation within the flanges. This rotation is efiected by means of a second gear wheel I I and operating shaft I 2. The explosion pot I is carried at the upper end of the member 8, which also comprises contact elements I3 and cranked parts of the member 8.

These contact elements I3 and I4 are spaced axially along the rotatable member 8 and are also angularly displaced with reference to the axis of the member 8 so that on rotation of the latter either contact I3 can be brought into engagement with a contact I5 which is carried on the inner end of the plug-type contact 5 or contact element I4 can be brought into engagement with a corresponding contact I6 on the inner end of contact 6.

Thus, by rotating the member 8 a circuit can be completed when the breaker is closed from either of the duplicate busbars to the feeder connected to contact 4, as desired. Suitable interlocking devices of any well known type are provided for ensuring that selection is not carried out when the breaker is in the closed position.

The casing I may be provided with insulating linings H to protect the inner Wall of the casing from the effects of the are formed during the circuit breaking operation and is also provided with an inspection cover I8 by which access may be had to the explosion pot 1. Normally this in- I4 which are arranged on u suitable carriage for the purpose.

spection cover should not be removed except when the breaker is isolated from the fixed portion of the gear, by being withdrawn therefrom using a The casing l is customarily filled with oil to the level indicated at l9.

It should be understood that our QiHVBIIfiOILLl-S not limited to specific .details' of construction and arrangement thereof herein illustrated, and that changes and modifications may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of our invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United fitates :isz- V 1. A combined bus-bar selectionzdeuice andicircuit breaker for use with high tension metal clad switchgear comprising a casing, relatively fixed and movable contact structure co'acting insaid casing, said fixed contact structure being rotatably mounted in said casing about its longitudinal axis and having contact surfaces spaced with resp'ect'to ,each other along said axis, said contact surfaces being :angularly spaced about 'said axis, and stationary contacts mounted in 'said'casing arranged to fbe selectively'engagedbysaid contact surfaces, "respectively; for selectively connecting said'i'ixed contact structure toalternative busbar connections.

2. bus-bar selectiondevice and circuit break erffor use with multiple bus-bar metal clad high tension switchgear including alternative stationary bus-"bar connections-comprising a member rotatable about its longitudinal 'axis'and carrying .the .fixed contact structure of the circuit breaker, and having contact surfaces spaced from f one another. along its the contact sin iaces being 'angularly spaced "about the *axisand 'beber.

mg adapted to 'beibrought into engagement successively with said 'station'ary' connections associated'with the'iou's-barson rotationof the memengagement with coacting contacts on a stationary structure carrying bus-bars connected each to one of the said coacting contacts, a member mounted so as to be rotatable about its axis within the casing, the mounting being arranged so that the member is insulated from the casing, a fixed-circuit breaker contact carried at :the upper e'ndof saidtmember and adapted to he engaged in the closed position of the breaker by a contact mod movable axially within the casing, said contact rod slidably engaging in its passage to the fixed contact a contact connected to one of said plug-type contacts .and contact elements arranged -=orr-7said rotatable' member in spaced relation along theaxis thereof and angularly spaced about said axis, the icon-tact elements being disposed to be brought selectively into engagement with one of ithe o remainl-ng plug type contacts on rotation of the rotatable member:

a. A combined bus-bar selector and circuit breaker as claimed in claim 3, in which thefixed contact is within an explosion pot whichprovides arc control on breaking circuit.

5. A combined'iius-bar selection device and circuit'ibrea'kerior use with metal clad switchgear comprising av casing, relatively fixed-Land movable contacts coasting within said casing, an insulator mounted in said 1 casing for rotation about "its longitudinal axis, .said insulator supporting said .fixed contact and Provided witha pair of contacts spaced with respect to each other along said iong'itudinalaxis and angularly spaced about said axis, the aforesaid contacts electrical- 1y connected to'saidfixed circuit breaker contact, and three exterior circuit connections mounted insaid casing, one of said connections being electrically connected to .said movable contact and the othertwo of said connections arranged alternatively to c'oact'with said angularly spaced contacts so that'rotation of said insulator is eifectiveselect'ively to connect said fixed c'ir-' cuit breaker contact to said alternative COD-118C! tions.

JOHN 'MELVTLLE GOQDAL'I...

EUGENE DAVID 'REGIS; 

